


A Dull Roar

by BabelFishing



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Amity cannot catch a break, Bookstores, Camping, Crushes, Developing Relationship, Embarrassment, F/F, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Library, Light-Hearted, Lumberjanes (mentioned), Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28048407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabelFishing/pseuds/BabelFishing
Summary: A project due date is approaching, so naturally, the library would be the best place for Luz and Amity to study. But as it turns out, even the library can offer its own share of distractions – that is, if you’re sitting with the right person.OrAmity and Luz try to hit the books, but end up hitting on each other – in their own way.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 15
Kudos: 272





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While sifting through new story ideas, I realized that this piece was basically 90% finished and that I never shared it because I wanted to write the second part first. The second chapter is still forthcoming (fingers crossed), but I think this first chapter stands alone well for now. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> \---
> 
> Update: chapter 2 is finished and I decided to add it as a 2nd chapter for this piece. Amity and Luz go through with their pre-release campout and feelings ensue for all. Plus, Amity cannot catch a break from literally anyone! 
> 
> Slam that "Next Chapter" button to check it out!

“Wow! Where did you even find all of those?”

All throughout the reference section, Luz’s voice echoed from shelf to shelf and across the chamber’s vaulted ceiling. The hall’s stained glass windows reverberated in reply, their lead joints unaccustomed to such exuberance in their presence. Even outside the room, in the nearby scrying hall, bookish scholars and students alike heard her exclamation and wondered what kind of research could justify such a commotion.

Naturally, one of the Bonesborough librarians heard the young human as well, even while perched high above the floor on a rolling track ladder. Accordingly, a chiding *shush* rang out above the pair, causing Amity to flinch and nearly drop her armful of worn tomes.

Once she managed to regain her balance, Amity set down the stack and gave her friend a glare that amplified the librarian’s distant reprimand. Through and through, the green-haired witch saw herself as a rule-follower, and she immediately worried that her friend’s outburst would tarnish her sterling reputation as a prized library patron.

“Luz, they’re just books. You don’t need to yell.”

Smiling eagerly back at her friend, Luz shook her head in mock disagreement.

“They’re not _just_ books, Amity. They’re portals into other worlds. With these, we can climb the highest mountains and chart the depths of the sea. We can travel to the edges of the galaxy and learn something new about ourselves along the way.”

As she continued, Luz rose from her chair and began to cast her hands around, as if she were painting her literary aspirations into the library’s dusty air. Each brush stroke was more grandiose than the last, making it clear where the young bibliophile stood on the matter.

“With a book in hand, we don’t have to wonder what it is like to travel through time or fight against a tyrannical ruler. A book can be a refuge from a hard day at school or a mirror for our hidden emotions. Anything is possible with a book, Amity Blight, and don’t you forget it!”

Luz accented her treatise above a whisper, her hands now placed firmly upon Amity’s books. Fortunately for her, though, the librarian nearby had just mishandled a book, causing it to fall to the floor from eight shelves up. The resulting impact was plenty loud enough to cover up the human’s second auditory infraction.

Even so, Amity looked back at her friend with a mix of irritation and adoration. On one hand, Amity wanted to make progress on their joint research paper before the day was through. The pair had procrastinated on it long enough now, and Amity felt certain that they wouldn’t finish by its due date unless they hit the books today.

On the other hand, though, Amity felt entirely engrossed in her friend’s dorky monologue from start to finish. As it went on, the green-haired witch could feel the academic half of her brain shut off and the half of her brain that was enamored with Luz flip on. Even after Luz had spoken her peace and sat back down, Amity remained silent and attentive, as if hoping for an encore.

Once it became clear that Luz was finished, Amity managed to flip the switch and return to study mode. Her cheeks still flushed a bit pink, however, as thoughts of listening to Luz talk about her favorite books for hours on end lingered in her subconscious.

“Okay, you’re right. But I don’t think these books are going to do any of those things.”

To emphasize her point, Amity nabbed an ochre book out of the pile and pulled it open to the title page. While gesturing to the first several pages, she illustrated, “these are all the books I could find about the composition of abomination clay. We should be able to use these all as sources.”

Slumping down slightly, Luz’s exuberance turned to glum recognition of her academic duties.

“Oh, right. I kinda forgot why we came here…”

With a bit of effort, Amity slid the rest of the books out of the way while making space for her notebooks.

“I don’t think we’re going to get this whole thing done today. But if we can at least get our bibliography filled out, we should be able to write the rest of the paper during study hall.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good plan,” Luz agreed while reaching for her school bag and withdrawing a few writing utensils.

Though she’d always fashioned herself as a high-achieving student, even in the human world, Luz had found herself falling behind in some of her Hexside classes. “Abominations in Practice” had been a particular challenge, not least because she hadn’t taken the proceeding classes that taught abomination fundamentals.

Being friends with a star pupil came with its fair share of perks, of course. Once she realized that she couldn’t keep pace with the class, Luz had asked Amity for extra help on future assignments. Amity had agreed to the request without any hesitation (much to Luz’s surprise) and now, each of them silently looked forward to their Tuesday afternoon tutoring sessions (even if Amity refused to refer to them as such).

After drawing a stack of notecards from a side pocket, Luz poked her friend with her pencil eraser and asked, “so, which one should I read first?”

With several lines of notes already jotted down, Amity looked up and scanned the field. “How about this one,” she suggested while pointing to a crisp navy volume.

“Looks as good as any of them.”

With that, Luz pulled over the highlighted book, cracked it open to the first chapter, and began to search for usable quotes. Once she found a snippet that she liked, she scrawled it down on a notecard, along with its page number. Within 10 minutes, she had a small pile of these cards beside her book, which Amity took notice of.

“What are those for,” Amity inquired while gesturing toward the notecards.

“This is how I usually take notes for school projects,” Luz explained, sliding her just-completed card over to her companion. “My mom taught it to me. They make it way easier to organize your thoughts before actually writing. I use these to write my fanfictions, too.”

“I’ve never thought of that…” Amity trailed off as she began to look over the completed card. “Do you have more of them? This could really help speed up the process.”

“I always have supplies to share with the brightest Blight,” Luz grinned while sliding over half of the blank stack.

Amity laughed nervously as she accepted the several notecards. “You’re just saying that.”

“I’m not, though,” Luz countered while shaking her head earnestly. “I get to learn about abominations from one of Hexside’s star students. What could be better?”

 _I can think of a few things_ , Amity’s subconscious whispered involuntarily.

Between the intrusive thought and her friend’s compliment, Amity could feel her ears beginning to burn. As far as she was concerned, she was getting the better end of the deal, anyway. Still, Amity wanted to take the focus off of herself as soon as possible, what with her cheeks growing as warm as her pointed ears.

“I’m just…” she started in before faltering, “I just like to study, you know? So, tutoring like this feels natural.”

Sensing her friend’s slip-of-the-tongue, Luz nudged Amity gently with her elbow. “Eeeeeh, you said it!”

“No, it’s not tutoring!” Amity insisted, her hands flying up to grab back her previous comment. “It can’t be tutoring because that would be…that would be…”

“That would be what?”

 _That would be too intimate_ , Amity’s mind shouted into the library’s silence. It was the truth and deep down, she wanted to say as much. But now wasn’t the right time – they had research to do.

“That would be too formal,” the green-haired witch finally articulated after deciding that the rational sounded innocuous enough. “I just want this to be like we’re studying together, mutually - not like a ‘teacher-student’ thing.”

Luz shot back a knowing glance, her sly grin obscuring her own thoughts on the arrangement. “Whatever you say, Blight, whatever you say.”

Luz then grabbed her pencil and turned back to her book. Amity returned her gaze to her own work as well, but quickly realized that her scholastic concentration had been broken wide open. At this rate, she just hoped she could make it through the rest of the afternoon without saying anything else embarrassing or regrettably telling.

Fortunately for her, both she and Luz found their researching rhythm thereafter, with only the sound of pencils scratching between them. Occasionally, Luz would lean over and ask for clarification on a term she wasn’t familiar with. Similarly, Amity would occasionally inquire about the best way to organize her notecards into a logical order.

On one such occasion, Luz pushed her book aside and started to scribble some notes down on a fresh card. It took longer than usual, and Amity noticed that her friend was taking extra care to print legibly.

After a few minutes, Luz looked up and slide the card over. While tapping her pencil on the card’s front side, she explained, “this is what my finished cards usually look like. You can copy it if you want or make your own. Whatever floats your boat.”

Looking down at the card, Amity noticed that it had been customized with her in mind. Rather than the title of an academic work, the card listed _The Good Witch Azura, Book 1_. Below that, the card featured an iconic quote, attributed to the protagonist’s original rival, Hecate – “Your magic is different, Azura, and I am envious of its potential. If you share its secret with me, I might one day call you a friend.”

Reading over the card brought a smile to Amity’s face, a smile that grew even wider when she turned over the card. There, she found even more references to their favorite novel series, each of which had been tailored to fit the form of an academic citation. It all felt like one big in-joke, but that didn’t stop Amity’s nerdier side from screaming with affection at the gesture.

“This is perfect…,” Amity mumbled, the butterflies in her stomach getting the better of her tongue. “Thank you.”

After giving a quirky two finger salute in reply, Luz’s eyes lit up again, this time in recollection.

“Oh, I almost forgot! I made this for you in study hall today.”

Her gift yet unseen, Luz began rooting around in her book bag. After a moment or two, she withdrew her day planner and with it, another filled-in notecard. This, too, she slid over in Amity’s direction, making sure that it remained flat on the table’s surface.

“Read iiiiiiit!”

Uncertain of what Luz was getting at, Amity did as she was asked while ensuring that her voice remained especially quiet. From the card’s neat handwriting, she cautiously read:

“Amity, you’re a bright light in my day.”

As the last word left her lips, Amity saw Luz’s hand slap down on the card with considerable force. At first, this only resulted in a loud, dull report that echoed through the reference room and caused Amity to jump in her seat. But a beat later, the notecard began to fold in on itself and glow gently of its own accord. In short order, the entire card was consumed in a soft glowing light orb, the likes of which Amity had seen Luz create innumerable times before.

“Ta-da! What do you think?”

“That was…”Amity hesitated as she tried to find the right words again. “That was…”

 _Probably one of the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me_.

It was on the tip of her tongue, but the young witch bit down to avoid sounding too sentimental, too revealing.

“I don’t know what to say,” she fibbed instead. “How’d you do that?”

Looking pleased with herself, Luz nodded. “I put a light glyph was on the other side. I figured that, with enough force, I could activate it through the paper, even if it was face down. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I wanted you to see it first if it did.”

Amity looked away and tried to distract herself by shuffling through her finished notecards. “I’m honored…really.”

Then, out of the dusty library air, a drop of courage found its way into the young witch’s heart. The boon melted Amity’s inhibition for an instant, long enough for her to turn back toward Luz, look her straight in the eyes and ask, “Do you really mean it?”

“Mean what?”

Sighing lightly, Amity screwed up some more courage and persevered. 

“I mean…what you said, on the card…do you really mean it?”

At first, Luz parted her lips to give a quick reply – _Of course I meant it!_

But after pausing for a beat, Luz sensed that her companion was asking for more than just a confirmation. Perhaps she was searching for the intent behind her words; her suddenly serious tone sure made it sound that way.

Or maybe Amity was asking why she’d written that note in the first place. If that was the case, Luz knew that she didn’t have a straight answer to offer. In essence, she just wanted to make something to brighten Amity’s day, to tell her the truth and be friendly…or maybe more than friendly. More importantly, she knew that she couldn’t tell Amity any of that off the cuff, not without risking being misunderstood or worse, rebuffed.

Instead, Luz tried to do what she did best - play it cool.

“Oh yeah, of course! I mean, I always look forward to seeing you at school every day. And hanging out with you here or at the Owl House is always the best. So, you’re definitely a light in my day.”

She could have left it there, but a few more words tumbled out accidentally.

“You’re special like that, Blight. I don’t know how else to say it.”

There was another way to say it, of course, and Amity thought she heard as much right in the moment. Her heart responded in kind, revving her pulse in a skewed fight-or-flight response that felt at once unbearable. Already, she was starting to feel lightheaded from hearing _those words_ and she knew she needed to get away, before she melted away and lost her composure entirely.

So, in a sudden burst of movement, Amity sprang from her seat and glanced around, as if trying to spot a pursuing predator. Without acknowledging her friend’s charming remark, she announced, “hey, I just remembered that I need to find a book waaaaaaay on the other side of the library.”

Luz looked eager to lend a hand, even without noticing her companion’s acute skittishness. “Oh, do you need help finding it?”

“Nope, nope, nope,” Amity hastily declined, her hands both shaking in Luz’s direction now. “I’m just going to see if I can find it myself because I…really like…that book.”

With that, the green-haired witch turned on her heels and took off at a swift trot, her gaze directed sharply at the polished marble floor. Even there, she could see the deep crimson of her blush, which made her want to detour to her secret reading room and never come out again all the more.

In her wake, Luz remained at their study table, staring out at the allegorical cloud of dust left behind by Amity’s haste. Even without connecting the dots, the young human could sense that something was up with her friend. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well, she thought at first. Luz had been there numerous times, what with a lifetime of lactose intolerance under her belt.

But Amity’s expression just as she bolted away didn’t say “sickness,” not really. Even though she only caught a glance before Amity disappeared into a nearby row of shelves, Luz thought she saw her friend’s face growing rosy, just as it always did when she was embarrassed. But what could she have been so embarrassed about right then…?

“Was it something I said?” Luz wondered aloud to no one in particular. “She couldn’t have been that embarrassed by my note, right? I mean, we’re friends and that’s what friends say...right?”

Luz found herself with plenty of time to ruminate on that thought, though the following 30 minutes lent her little clarity. If anything, it made her wonder more and more about what was taking Amity so long to find just one book. After all, this research was fairly boring, that is, without the right company.

As her work pace slowed and her thoughts became more pre-occupied with Amity’s absence, Luz felt herself growing a bit sleepy, owing in part to the late afternoon light pouring in through the tall reference room windows. A yawn cropped up every now and then, inviting Luz to take a quick snooze in the library’s silence. One such yawn finally convinced her to lay her head down between book pages and just shut her eyes for a minute or two…

“Luz…are you awake?”

Amity’s voice echoed in Luz’s ears without any response. She’d returned from her long walk around the library to find her study buddy snoozing among their piles of research material. Seeing that the brown-haired girl hadn’t stirred, Amity started to reach out a newly-relaxed hand, intending to gently shake her friend awake.

But just before Amity’s hand made contact, Luz sprung awake. Her head shot up from her book pillow, causing a pair of notecards to fly out of their respective piles and onto the floor. Luz’s eyes were surprisingly alert, even for someone who had just dozed off in the reference room.

Upon realizing that her friend was nearby, Luz exclaimed, “Amity! You’re back. Did you find what you were looking for?”

Amity realized just then that she had forgotten to pick up an alibi book. Slightly panicked, she explained, “No, it was actually checked out already.” To this, she added an awkward snapping motion, as if to emphasize her disappointment.

“Oh, that’s too bad. I miiiiiight have dozed off while you were gone. I didn’t mean to, but it was so boring once you left.”

“You know me,” Amity joked, “the life of the library.”

“Now that I’m awake, though, I’m not sure how much more reading I can do.” As she said this, Luz popped a bookmark in her open book and closed it emphatically.

Amity surveyed the scene and realized that she was no longer in the mood for studying, either.

“I’m honestly starting to run out of energy for this, too. How about we call it an afternoon?”

Luz smiled in response, as if she’d been waiting to hear those words. “Sounds good to me!”

“But I have to ask,” Luz questioned while dropping a few books on a re-shelving cart, “who are you and what did you do with the ever-studious Amity Blight?”

Scoffing, Amity shot her friend an offended glare. “I do not just study all the time. Sometimes I do fun stuff when I’m not at school.”

“Reading doesn’t count.”

“Reading absolutely counts. But I was actually planning on doing something really fun this weekend.”

“Oh yeah? What are you cooking up?”

Amity looked around suspiciously as the pair exited the reference room and reentered the library’s main atrium. Once she was certain that the coast was clear of her “popular” peers, she whispered over to Luz, “I’m going to get the new Azura book.”

“YOU’RE GOING TO GET WHAT?!”

It was as if an auditory bomb had gone off in the atrium, just between the periodical display and the circulation desk. From there, everyone in the general vicinity could hear Luz’s explosive response. Many even turned to see what the matter was, leading them to see a thunderstruck Luz and an eminently embarrassed Amity staring at one another.

“There’s another Azura book coming out and I didn’t know about it?” Luz asked, her volume still too loud for the sanctimonious setting. By then, a librarian caught wind of the outburst and chided the pair from across the room.

Realizing that her friend wasn’t likely to quiet down, Amity started to shuffle Luz toward the exit. Once outside, she stepped back and realized that she’d just pulled the apple of her eye all the way through the heart of the library by the wrist. But she hardly had time for bashfulness to set in before Luz returned to her line of loud questioning.

“Are you being 100% serious? Is there really a new Azura book coming out? Because Book 6 isn’t supposed to be out until next year and I don’t think I’ve been here that long.”

“Luz.”

“But what if I just missed the announcement? What kind of Azura superfan am I if I missed a new book announcement?”

“Luz.”

“I don’t even know where to get a book here. Maybe I can get Owlbert to nab me a copy next time he’s in…”

“Luz!”

Amity cut her friend’s tangential train of thought off. As soon as she raised her voice, she regretted it and gasped slightly. She had Luz’s attention, though, so she tried to explain, “Book 6 is supposed to come out this Saturday. I thought you knew about it already, that’s why I didn’t mention it.”

Luz shook her head like an excited golden retriever. “I didn’t know. How can it be coming out already? Last time I checked the Azura fan forum, the author had hinted that it would be out next summer.”

“I’m not sure how the books are released in your world, but Bonesborough always gets advance copies of Arcana Treed’s books. She lives in Clavicsville, so she’s only a couple towns over.”

By now, Luz’s eyes had grown to planetary proportions. The surprises just kept coming, one after another. But this one almost left her speechless.

“Hold on…you’re telling me that Arcana Treed – the greatest high fantasy author since Tolkien – lives here in the Boiling Isles?”

Matter-of-factly, Amity replied, “Yeah, she does. Her books are usually marketed as realistic fiction here, though.”

“It all makes so much sense …” Luz nodded while looking down the library’s cascading marble staircase. “I knew there was a reason I loved this place as soon as I stepped through Eda’s portal.”

“Like I said,” Amity looped around, “Book 6 is coming out on Saturday. That was my big plan for the weekend.” Realizing suddenly that she had a fantastic chance to rope Luz in, Amity continued on, “And the reason I didn’t tell you before is because I was wondering if…maybe you wanted to come with?”

“Is that even a question, Blight?” Luz exclaimed while throwing up her hands, “you know I’m in! When should I be there on Friday?”

Amity’s puzzled look spoke for itself. “Friday? I’m pretty sure the release is on Saturday morning.”

The human nodded in agreement. “That’s true. But how are you supposed to be first in line for the book unless you camp out overnight in front of the store?”

“Oh, I was just planning on getting it when they open on Saturday…”

Leading the way down the stairs, Luz was quick to banish away such pedestrian means of literary acquisition.

“Nonsense! If we’re going to get the new Azura book, we have to be the first ones in all of Bonesborough. So, camping overnight it is!”

Amity initially opened her mouth to object but found herself unable to after considering the proposition in full. From the sound of it, Luz wanted to make this into a kind of Friday night sleepover. That’d mean a night of talking together, laughing together, and…whatever else came with that. They’d be camped in the middle of town but…this was just too good to skip out on.

“Camping it is,” Amity hesitantly agreed, still not entirely sure what she was getting herself into.

The pair continued to make their way down the long staircase, eventually arriving back at street level in the heart of Bonesborough. Once there, Luz turned and noted, “You know what else? This can count as the first official outing for the Hexside Azura Fan Club!”

“Aren’t we still the only two members of that ‘club?’”

“I’ve literally never met anyone who likes the Azura books as much as you, Amity. So, until I find someone else as devoted to the Good Witch as you are, no one else will be joining.”

The thought of always having this made-up club between Luz and herself made the young witch’s core radiate with warmth. Frankly, the book-specific focus didn’t even matter to her much. If she had an excuse to hang out with Luz and talk about literally anything in the world, she’d be happy – even if that was in a tent, outside of a bookstore, on a Friday night in the middle of summer.


	2. First in Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hexside Azura Book Club tries to stake its claim by camping out the night before the series' latest release. Luz couldn't be more excited, but Amity is feeling some apprehension - not least because it means sharing a room with the apple of her eye the whole night through. But through hours of spirited chatter and even a late night surprise, Amity grows to appreciate her membership in this club of two even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 to start the new year! Originally, I was going to post this follow-up as a separate story. But I didn’t want folks to miss it, so here it is as a bonafide 2nd chapter. Fun fact - chapter 1 was originally intended to be a short set-up scene for the events in this chapter. But then I leaned way into the library setting and wanted it to stand alone. Now the whole story's back together again, so I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Here's to a joyous and healthy start to 2021!

By the time Luz hammered in the last peg, the evening sun had begun to cast the skies over Bonesborough in rich alizarin hues. Long shadows hung over the streets of the business district, just as numerous weekend revelers began to cram into the city’s popular eateries and entertainment venues. Altogether, the city’s thrill seekers paid little heed to a small, green tent being pitched on the side of the road, just beside the city’s best loved bookshop - Terrace Books.

Amity didn’t mind the lack of attention, though. After all, she was not trying to advertise her impending encampment in the heart of her hometown. In the preceding hours, the green-haired witch had mentally prepared to explain herself to any peers that might pass by. None had so far, but Amity remained on high alert, regardless.

Meanwhile, Luz was putting the last touches on the pair’s overnight residence. The A-frame tent itself was nothing special – just something Luz had scavenged from Eda’s seemingly infinite storeroom. Its olive-drab color reflected the evening sunlight well, enough to make Luz’s last-minute additions visible from a distance. This included a hand-painted sign that read, “Hexside Azura Book Club.”

With the mallet still in hand, Luz wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and triumphantly announced, “it’s finished!”

From a few paces away, Amity heard her friend’s call and turned to face the store. The newly-installed tent was more gritty than she had expected, even with its colorful signage. Having never really camped before, in the woods or otherwise, Amity wasn’t sure what she was expecting. But this looked rugged compared to her usual at-home accommodations, filling her with a renewed feeling of anxiety about the night ahead.

“Wow…you set that up really quick.”

Amity tried to hide her apprehension, both in her words and in her expression. Even if she was having a few second thoughts now, there was no reason to go and ruin Luz’s gleeful look of satisfaction like that.

“Once I found some gaps in the cobblestones” Luz explained, “it was a walk in the park. This is just like the tents we use on Lumberjane outings, even down to the color. I think this one might be a bit enchanted, though.”

Upon noting this, Luz tapped the tent’s ridge pole, causing it to glow faintly. “With this, we won’t even need a lantern to stay up all night reading.”

Amity paced over to the tent now, her pack of overnight essentials in hand. After setting the satchel down by the tent’s vestibule, she asked, “Sooooo, now what?”

“Oh, to be camping out before a book release for the first time again,” Luz sarcastically reminisced. “Next, we need to get our sleeping arrangement set up. Not that I plan on doing much sleeping, of course.”

_Not if I have anything to say about it._

“Hah, me neither!” Amity laughed nervously while trying to tamp down another amorously intrusive thought.

By then, Luz had climbed inside the tent, her slip-on white shoes paired up and laid to rest at the threshold. Amity followed after and discovered that, like so many of the dwellings in her favorite novels, the tent was noticeably bigger on the inside. Indeed, there was enough room for both young women to stand and move about with ease, despite the tent’s relatively tight exterior dimensions.

“I think Eda enchanted the inside, too,” Luz commented once her friend was fully inside. “You could fit a whole patrol in here, easy.”

With a nod, Amity began to inspect the tent’s inner walls, which showed far less wear than the exterior. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an enchantment like this before. I wonder how it works.”

“Beats me,” Luz shrugged as she freed a sleeping bag from her pack. “All I know is that I am claiming the right side of the tent right here, right now.” To mark her claim, Luz tossed the sleeping bag toward the front of the tent, along with a compact camping pillow.

From there, Luz continued to unload an assortment of camping accoutrements. This included a thermos, from which she poured a cup of dull brown liquid after arranging her belongings. After sipping from the cup, she offered it up in Amity’s direction.

“Here, try it.”

After marveling at the tent’s interior a while longer, Amity made some progress toward unpacking, as well. Setting aside her pack momentarily, she accepted the cup and took a sip. Immediately, a burst of autumnal flavor crossed her tongue. Tart apple notes danced all around while a warming, cinnamon flavor lingered. A second sip even revealed a measured sweetness that only came from fresh-squeezed juice.

“That’s really good,” Amity praised. “Did you make it?

Waving the thermos in Amity’s direction, Luz puzzled, “No, I didn’t. I’m not really sure what it is, either. It was in a big pitcher labeled ‘Apple Blood’ in Eda’s ice box. It tastes like cider, though, so it must be good.”

Amity couldn’t help but agree with each successive sip. With the sun having fully set outside, she relished its warming after effect. It complemented the warmth in her cheeks well, though that wasn’t likely to fade as long as she shared a room with this particular human.

Just as she was about to explain that there was probably more than just apples in this concoction, Amity heard a knock on the tent’s outer flap. Poking her head out, Amity caught sight of a bespectacled girl a few paces away, flanked by a pair of men dressed in festive attire.

“Willow!”

Luz popped her head out of the tent seconds later and proclaimed her friend’s presence at first sight. Shoeless, she stumbled out of the tent and rushed up to embrace her classmate. Willow didn’t even flinch back much, now that she was getting used to the parallel arm thing.

“Hi Luz, hi Amity. What’re you two up to?”

“We’re…um…camping?” Amity tried to explain before realizing that her explanation would only lead to further questions.

Luz had no such concerns, though. “We’re not _just_ camping. We’re here to be first in line for the new Azura book that comes out tomorrow.”

After peeking around the area surrounding the shop’s front door, Willow noted, “It looks like you’re first in line so far.”

“You should expect nothing less from the Hexside Azura Fan Club!” bragged Luz.

“I guess so. I didn’t know you were part of the club, Amity.”

Amity knew that Willow knew. As in, she _knew_. That’s why her occasional ribbings had become so Luz-centric as of late. This was no different, but Amity also didn’t have any way to dodge the observation with Luz standing right there.

“Oh, you bet. We’re actually the…um…only two members.”

That elicited a chuckle out of Willow’s dads, who had begun to look at the flustered young witch knowingly as well. She was digging a hole for herself, that much was becoming clear. But Amity still tried to make her presence appear more…innocuous.

“We’re actually recruiting new members, too,” the green-haired witch blurted out, earning a raised eyebrow from her companion. “There could be other people that like the Azura books as much as Luz at this book release, so we didn’t want to miss out on the chance to recruit them.”

“Hold on,” Luz cut in, causing the group to worry momentarily that a disagreement was brewing. Luz, however, simply wanted to set the record straight.

“If anyone is the biggest Azura fan at Hexside, it’s definitely you. I mean, I may have written all of those fanfics about Azura and Hecate, but you’ve made illustrations for all of the books so far. You’ve got me beat by a mile!”

Dismay covered Amity’s face as she listened to her friend disclose such a personal secret. Apart from her siblings (who only ever mocked her work), Amity had never shown anyone those drawings - many of which she kept hidden in her secret reading room in the library. Now Willow knew, too, which felt like the first step toward the entire school knowing her cloistered geeky ambitions.

Through gritted teeth, Amity managed to reign in her consternation. “Luz…I told you about those in confidence.”

“Yeah, I know,” Luz shrugged in return, “but I don’t want you to be ashamed of them. You’re art’s great – as in, good enough to be submitted to a contest. I bet we could find an Azura fan zine to send them in to.”

Her expression now filled with genuine admiration, Luz went on, “Either way, you love what you love and that shows through in your work. There’s no reason to hide that passion, especially from your friends.”

“I guess…”

Amity only half-believed the admonition, especially after weighing it against the unbearable weight of being known.

Recognizing that doubt, one of Willow’s dads interjected. As he spoke up, he slid his glasses up his nose and gestured in Amity’s direction.

“Your friend’s right, you know. I’m sure your skills have improved a lot since you and Willow were little. But even if they hadn’t, you should be proud of your work. You may not want to post them up all over town, sure. But that shouldn’t stop you from living your truth.”

There was no arguing with Mr. Park’s fatherly wisdom. She’d rarely heard such affirmations at home, but the Park household had always been a welcoming place. For Amity, it felt good to know that Willow’s parents still cared for her – even if her friendship with their daughter had become strained for a while.

“Thanks. I’ll…think about that.”

With a grin, Willow’s dad nodded in agreement. Willow smiled, too, sensing the honesty in Amity’s conciliation. Her smile also recognized the change Amity had gone through over the past few months. Where Amity, the grudgby captain and top student, would have never indulged her hobbies publicly, the new Amity was willing to camp out overnight for a new novel. The impetus for change was fairly clear, Willow thought – not that Luz understood her role in the matter just yet.

“We’ll leave you to that, then,” Willow offered, before turning back to her parents. “We’re on our way to the traveling horticulture show. We should be on our way.”

Waving, Luz replied, “Okay, have fun!”

Just as she started up the cobblestone road again, Willow turned back suddenly. With a quick pace, she walked back up to the side of the tent and leaned in toward Amity. In a whisper, she implored, “don’t forget to kiss her goodnight.”

As she hustled to catch up to her parents, Willow didn’t witness the deep crimson infusion she’d brought to her friend’s entire face. Even the tips of Amity’s ears burned now as Willow’s insinuation made its way into every corner of her mind.

Luz also missed the colorful sight, having already ducked back into the tent. There, she continued to arrange her belongings on her side of the tent. After a few minutes more, her sleeping bag, pillow, and a few notebooks were all in order. It was only then that Amity managed to relax enough to re-enter and do the same.

“Okay, so, I have a theory about the next book” Luz posited while Amity gingerly set up her sleeping arrangement. As she said it, Luz firmly jabbed a finger at one of the notebooks beside her, which was dog-eared and filled with protruding sticky notes.

Amity looked up from her work, curious. “What about?”

At this prompting, Luz began to flip through her notebook, stopping on a page with an assortment of multicolored tabs.

“Okay, so bear with me here,” she started in, with the gusto of an academic lecture. “Do you remember what happened right before the end of Book 5?”

Having just reread the fifth installment in preparation, Amity nodded. “Yeah, Azura sacrificed her Staff of Justice to prevent Hecate from being imprisoned on the Astral Plane.”

Bright-eyed, Luz went on. “Right. Here’s my thought – what if that wasn’t really Hecate? What if that was actually Aleister in disguise?”

Intrigued at the proposition, Amity set aside her belongings and lent her full attention to the discourse.

“What makes you think that?”

“I won’t lie, this sounds pretty farfetched at first. But after Azura pulled Hecate out of the ruined Temple of Bane, she noticed something was missing. Specifically, Hecate was no longer wearing the Ring of Lenity she’d given her.”

“But didn’t Hecate say that she had to use it as a material component in the spell that saved her from being crushed in the collapse?”

“That’s just it, though. Aleister couldn’t have known Hecate was wearing that ring because Azura only gave it to her just before they returned to Shadowdale. Maybe he had her kidnapped right after that, while she was asleep, and replaced her with himself in disguise. In other words, his replication would have been perfect, save for that ring.”

Amity ruminated on the theory for a moment, then tried to test its validity.

“But if that’s true, wouldn’t that mean that Aleister was fighting against his master once they arrived in Shadowdale? And wouldn’t that mean Bane was ready to banish one of his lieutenants to the Astral Plane just to hurt Azura emotionally?”

“Maybe!” Luz shrugged, “to be fair, this is also the same dark prince who willingly sacrificed a third of his worshipers to open a rift to another plane of existence. The guy is pretty willingly to compromise his long-term success for a short-term solution.”

All at once, Luz’s fan theory brought to mind one Amity had been contemplating since reading book 4 for the first time. She hadn’t told anyone about it, naturally, and she was hesitant to do so even now. But if anyone would listen generously and without judging her, Amity knew it would be Luz the human.

“Okay, I have one, too!”

“Hit me with it, Blight.”

Realizing she lacked any notes to reference like her companion, Amity tried to wing it from memory.

“So, you mentioned the Ring of Lenity. Initially, I just thought that was supposed to be a peace symbol between Azura and Hecate – like Azura said it was. But there was something about how she gave it to Hecate that made me think it was something…more.”

“Ooooooo like what?”

Luz’s eyes were as wide as a child’s on Christmas morning after hearing Amity’s teaser. Feeling encouraged by her friend’s response, the green-haired witch continued, now with more stability and certainty in her voice.

“Azura didn’t say anything about it, but I think those rings are bonded together. If they were forged from the same quicksilver vein, like Azura’s armlets, then maybe they can be used to combine their magic capabilities in a pinch. That could come in handy in book 6 if they end up facing Bane head on.”

“That’s so true,” Luz beamed, her thoughts rushing with the possibilities of such a magical fusion. “But quicksilver only responds to people that are emotionally bonded to one another, like when Azura and Lyle used their memories of training at the academy to shield themselves against the Flaming Rains.”

Grinning with the answer on the tip of her tongue, Amity offered a quick rejoinder.

“That’s the other part of my theory – I think Azura gave Hecate that ring to say something about how far they’d come. I mean, they were rivals for years and then enemies after that. But after they were imprisoned together on the Trackless Plain, it felt like something changed for them both. There was that time skip after book 5, too, and I thought maybe they had grown…you know, closer, during that time.”

Eyes still wide, her mouth hanging open in awe, Luz couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Even for as much as they’d talked about the Azura books before now, she’d never heard Amity allude to such a well-known fan pairing. As it was, fans of the series had been shipping Azura and Hecate from minute one, and now that the series was coming to a head, many fans – Luz included – were hoping that all of the prior hints would resolve into something special. Amity clearly had an interest in the same, enough to eulogize about it without taking a breath.

As Amity’s impassioned oration entered a fifth uninterrupted minute, a light clicked on in Luz’s mind. In all her years as a self-proclaimed Azura super fan, she’d never actually talked to someone in real life about this particular aspect of the series. Sure, she’d talked to plenty of folks on the Azura forums about the pairing, and she’d read plenty of online slash fics on top of that.

But without many friends at school (and certainly none that were into fantasy novel shipping), Luz never had anyone to gush about Azura and Hecate to in person. The closest she’d had was her mom, who had begrudgingly joined her for the previous book’s release. Even then, Luz had shied away from this tender topic, worried that the whole exchange would get awkward in a hurry.

So, for the young human, this conversation felt unprecedented in the best way possible. It was everything she could have ever hoped for when she spied Amity’s Azura book collection for the first time in the library’s secret reading room. The enthusiastic, thoughtful girl she’d imagined in that moment was sitting across from her now, and it made her heart flutter at the mere recognition of it all.

“…but I guess that’s not completely out of the question, not after what happened in the Boreal Forest. What do you think, Luz?”

Flashing back to reality, Luz realized that she’d zoned out long enough to miss part of her friend’s monologue. Unsure of what she was agreeing to, Luz gave an overly energetic nod, and grinned away her sudden nerves.

“Oh, yeah. I mean, that has to be it, right?”

Surprised that Luz had agreed to the prospect of Azura and Hecate teaming up with their mutual enemy, Morganna, Amity gave her companion a puzzled look. But she brushed it off quickly after noticing how eager Luz was to add her thoughts.

Luz, though, was ready to branch off in a new direction. Subconsciously, she was worried that any further discussion of the heroines’ potential pairing would cause her mind to wonder to a more visceral coupling, between herself and…

“But hey, Arwyn, amiright?” Luz started in, directing their discussion toward the noble princess who had assisted Azura and Hecate secure access to the Temple of Bane. “There’s still so much we don’t know about her. I wonder if she’ll show up more in…”

Trailing off before she could finish her rushed thought, Luz noticed the slight look of irritation on Amity’s face, as if she still had more to say on the previous subject. Cutting that short would have been a shame, Luz realized, especially while the night was still young.

“Oh, um…sorry. I thought you were done.”

“It’s okay, really,” Amity insisted while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her pointed ear. “I just wanted to say that Hecate was always one of my favorite characters, especially after she saved that family in book 2. Oh, and then there was the time that she…!”

And so, as a crescent moon rose high over Bonesborough, Amity and Luz continued to share their long-held speculations about the Azura series with one another. Hours ticked by like minutes in this pattern until the early morning hours, when the pubs across the street were making their last calls. Even by that hour, the pair found their conversation as rich and enticing as ever, filled to the brim with the kind of literary zeal that each admired in silence in the other.

By the time the streets outside grew quiet, both Luz and Amity had made themselves more comfortable, at one point scooting their sleeping bags to the tent’s center so that they could flip through Luz’s series compendium side-by-side.

Not long after, the pair’s shared chatter and laughter faded as the lateness of the hour caught up to them both. It only took a few yawns from Luz to make Amity drowsy, leading them both to nod off fully without another word between them.

That is, until what felt like only a minute later, when Amity’s eyes blinked open in response to a dog barking in the distance. She’d been drifting off into a dream just then, enough to make the sight she awoke to feel moderately ordinary. There had been dreams like this before and there probably would be again. Surely, she’d just close her eyes again and it would disappear in a flash.

But upon opening her eyes once more, Amity was dismayed to find the scene unchanged.

 _She_ was still there, right there, just a few inches away, snoring away blissfully.

 _She_ was still there, her head nestled gently onto Amity’s outstretched arm as if it were the most comfortable pillow ever made.

 _She_ was still there, asleep with her cat hood pulled up, unaware of the way she’d just awoken Amity’s rabbit heart.

Fight or flight began to rear its frantic head as Amity tried her best not to panic. _This is actually happening_ , the green-haired witch’s mind raced. _Luz is asleep on my arm and she doesn’t know it and I know it and I don’t know what to do._

The thought then crossed her mind. _What if she wakes up?_

That wasn’t an option, the young witch decided immediately, not if she had anything to do about it. After all, who was she to disturb the most endearing dreamer in the entire Boiling Isles?

Keeping still was easier said than done, of course, especially as a static electricity pulsed beneath Amity’s skin, goading her to pull away. A few metered breathes were all she could muster to keep herself from twitching or bolting out the tent door without ever looking back.

After a few more minutes in this panicked state, Amity concluded that something had to give. Falling back to sleep like this would be near impossible, she knew, but risking Luz’s slumber also felt like a sin. The latter felt like the lesser of two evils, though, especially if she had any hope of making it through the night with her dignity intact.

Just as she readied herself to swiftly withdraw her trapped hand, Amity paused to consider the simple gift Luz had inadvertently given her. If she was lucky, Luz would remain there until daybreak, connecting their heartbeats just as they slept. Perhaps she’d never even know the fortuitous link occurred, making this moment Amity’s alone to cherish.

Deciding instead to maintain the tent’s tranquil scene, even at the cost of her own sleep, Amity laid herself back down and tried find a comfortable position. Her arm would need to remain outstretched, of course, but that felt like a minor sacrifice in retrospect, compared to this magic moment.

Once she was settled in fully, Amity closed her eyes and tried to tune out the ambient chatter on the street outside. Just as she felt herself nodding off once more, Amity gently reopened one of her gold eyes. If she could, she wanted one last look at the sweet dream she’d awoken to.

***

Dawn broke early over Bonesborough as a lesser basilisk coiled its way over the city rooftops, letting loose a mighty crow as it slithered along. Even before the serpent made its presence known, a few early birds were already pacing the streets. Their footfalls were weary and begrudging, with most wishing for a few more winks on this Saturday morning.

Amity, too, wanted little more than an extra five minutes of sleep when the creature’s squawk reached her ears, rousing her from her well-earned slumber. As she blinked in the new day’s light, which passed gently through a slit in the tent flap, the green-haired witch recalled her midnight surprise. The thought of it all felt less frightening, now that she’d had time to sleep on it.

Curious, Amity lifted her head from her pillow to see if Luz had remained in place the whole night through. To her slight disappointment, her friend had rolled back over at some point, choosing the comfort of her own pillow over the subconscious solace of Amity’s arm. Amity couldn’t complain too much, though – her arm had managed to fall asleep long before her.

Sitting up cautiously, Amity scooted gingerly toward the front of the tent and peaked outside. The early morning light was a bit oppressive at first. But after her eyes adjusted, she could again see the city’s familiar streets, complete with an assortment of commoners completing their sunrise chores.

As she relished this comely view, which her room back at Blight Manor rarely offered, Amity turned her gaze toward the adjacent bookstore. No “open” sign had been placed in the window, but a middle-aged woman wearing a verdant green apron and frameless spectacles stood out on the stoop, broom in hand. She looked as tired as the passing commoners, but it was clear that the shop’s opening was her present responsibility.

Looking up suddenly from her accumulated dust pile, the clerk’s line of sight caught Amity’s. Raising one tenuous eyebrow, the clerk took her broom in one hand and called over, “Oi, so you’re the lass who set up a tent out here. Figured I’d be seein’ ya before long.”

Pausing for a moment as her still-waking ears caught on, Amity grinned lightly and broke their shared gaze. “Oh, um…yeah. I was hoping to, I mean, _we_ were hoping to be first in line for the new Azura book.”

“There’s two of ya’s, in there?” the clerk shot back while adjusting her black, straight-cut bangs. “Sounds like a romantic date night, if ‘er there was one.”

It was too early for this, Amity bemoaned to herself in silence. Too early for the teasing, and too early to be feeling this embarrassed.

Raising one hand in timid disagreement, Amity tried to inconspicuously set the record straight.

“It’s…it’s not like that, I promise. We both wanted to be first in line, that’s all. I mean, Luz suggested it, and then she convinced me to come with and then we stayed up all night talking about the Azura books and then she fell asleep on my arm and I almost freaked out, but I didn’t, so…”

Realizing that she’d said far too much, the young witch threw one hand over her mouth. The bespectacled clerk had heard it all, though, her curling smirk saying more than enough in return. But the clerk made sure she had the last laugh anyway, her lilt poorly hiding the sarcasm in her voice.

“Oh, do tell! Perhaps ya’d like to come in and tell me more about what you two ‘talked’ about last night?”

Amity’s cheeks would have made a beet blush at this point. Her mood wasn’t souring, but she was getting a bit fed up with this uncalled-for treatment by a total stranger.

“No, no, no, I just...can we just get the books and leave?”

Sensing that she’d struck a bad chord, the clerk pushed open the shop’s door and gestured up at the store’s wooden sign.

“Oh, I’m just teasin’ ya, lass. I did just the same with a girl I fancied when I was your age. And now look at us, owning a book shop together. I lost the bet to name the place but…it’s no matter.”

With a foot in the door, the clerk smiled again and added, “The name’s Isla, by the way. Come in whenever you’re ready. We’re open.”

Like a puppy dog to a whistle, those magical words were all it took to rouse the tent’s second occupant. In only a split second, Luz was out the door and standing sock-footed on the cobblestone pathway, her eager eyes not betraying even an inch of exhaustion. Her cat hood still clung tight to her head as well, making it hard for Amity to take her even slightly seriously.

“Did you say you’re open?!”

Half-shouting, Luz looked ready to explode with anticipation. The prospect of a new book had effectively blinded her.

Having only just made it past the threshold, Isla leaned back out the door and nodded.

“We have indeed, lass. I heard you’re lookin’ to be the first to get your hands on the new Azura book.”

“Am I ever!”

“Then first you shall be. Come on in and I’ll get you both fresh copies.”

Offering a friendly wave, Isla disappeared back into the store. Meanwhile, Luz turned immediately to Amity, who looked slightly shell-shocked. Grinning from ear to ear, Luz grabbed her friend’s hand and immediately began to pull her along.

“Come on, you heard her! New Azura book, new Azura book!”

Swallowing hard at the warmth in Luz’s palm, Amity pulled herself to her feet and drew back her hand.

“Yeah, it looks like we did it – first in line.”

Pacing impatiently, Luz turned her gaze toward the shop’s entrance.

“Yes, yes, yes, Now let’s goooooooooo!”

“Okay, okay. You lead the way.”

Like a sprinter off the starting block, Luz charted a course directly into the bookstore, her leap of exuberance carrying her up the front steps with ease. Amity was close behind, at a more metered pace, her attention focused both on their impending literary adventure and the unbelievable dork who had brought her along for the ride.

***

“You know what I just realized?”

“What?”

“There was no one else in line at the book shop.”

Amity assumed that this fact had been obvious from the moment Luz burst out of the tent. But Luz had hardly averted her thoughts from Book 6 since then, so perhaps she hadn’t given it a second thought until now.

“Their loss,” Amity shrugged while reaching for her mug. From it, she sipped a warm draught of earl grey tea – made specially by Eda for their impromptu reading party. Eda herself had been scarce most of the afternoon, allowing Luz and Amity to take over the living room and set up their desired blanket fort.

That citadel of reading stood proud for the House’s inhabitants to see, with quilts and duvets of all shapes and sizes draped over every chair and shelf Amity could drag toward the central couch. Internally, Luz had illuminated the space with her iconic light orbs, an assortment of which floated gently against the cloth ceiling, each trying to escape like miniature balloons. Their light, meanwhile, was just ample enough for un-strenuous reading, while still preserving enough darkness for King to nap in one pillow-filled corner beside his copy of “Chicken Soup for the Demonic Ruler’s Soul.”

Shifting slightly, Luz nodded in agreement. “Exactly. We’ll be the first ones to read this entire book and there’s nothing they can do to stop us.”

Not wanting to miss another minute of the action, Luz turned her gaze back to her book. She now lay on her back, her book held aloft as one might hold a baby.

Propping herself upright, Amity continued reading as well, her attention now locked on a new chapter. Hecate was under the effects of a truth spell and she still couldn’t answer questions about Azura that only she would know. _Maybe Luz’s theory was right after all_ , Amity contemplated in silence.

That silence between them was golden, not that each didn’t appreciate the other’s occasional quip or outburst at the novel’s present events. They’d kept pace with each other from the moment they cracked the cover, so they didn’t worry much about spoilers. Instead, their attention remained glued to the pages before them – and for Amity, an occasional, longing peak at her reading partner.

As the day carried on, the hours tracked only in terms of chapters read, the silence and dusk-like lighting caught up to the pair. Just as they had the night before, their ebbing conversation eventually gave way to occasional yawns. Soon enough, they each followed King’s lead, their heads lilting down onto their books before giving in to a mid-afternoon nap.

Just a moment or two passed (or so it felt) before Amity stirred again. Blinking awake, she remembered where she was – cozy, safe, and at-ease beneath a magically star-studded sky, all within a blanket fort of her and Luz’s creation. The air in the space still felt serene, as if the new books between them had cast a spell that blocked out the world’s worries and judgements for this perfect sliver of time.

Sensing a slight crook in her neck, Amity lifted her head and searched around for a more suitable pillow. Just as she spied an ideal candidate, the young witch also caught sight of Luz, her head resting cloud-like on chapter 13’s title page.

Just as before, Amity couldn’t help but feel her heart smile at the sight. It had happened a second time now, and the green-haired witch wasn’t sure what she had done right to deserve such a blessing. Sure, her arm wasn’t being held hostage this time around. But something about Luz’s resting demeanor, so tranquil and harmonious, made this moment feel as enchanted as the last, enough that she’d be glad to see such a sight every day for the rest of her life without ever feeling ungrateful.

This time, though, the circumstances were different. Between them lay a pair of books that may as well have been ancient treasure in their hands, as coveted as their contents were. To not spend every possible moment talking and reading and laughing and crying about this new story’s unfolding events…well, it almost felt like a disservice to a life spent in literary allegiance.

After wrestling with the prospect of waking Luz to rekindle the conversation, Amity reminded herself that some things were more important than a new book – even a new Azura novel. What had transpired here by chance was perhaps more rare and precious than any spell could produce, making it all the more important to let it proceed unimpeded – even if that meant putting the Hexside Azura Book Club’s first reading party on hold.

 _Besides_ , Amity reminded herself as she set her bookmark and laid back down, _I have my two favorite things together right here. That’ll be enough, for now._

**Author's Note:**

> Update: chapter 2 is finished and I decided to add it as a 2nd chapter for this piece. Slam that "Next Chapter" button to check it out!
> 
> \---
> 
> Like I said, the follow-up to this piece is on the horizon (knock on wood). I'll be sure to link it to this one once it's out in the world. Until then, thanks for reading!


End file.
